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No, to answer your question directly, but please don't miss the point of mine. There is an important distinction to be made here. All those vaccines have been around for years (decades), they are well-understood, old technology, and most importantly, they have become part of the array of things the public accepts (see: seatbelts, no-smoking in public places, airplanes, catalytic converters on your car, etc.). There is a long list of things the American public finds acceptable that could be construed as restrictions on muh'freedom. For some reason, all those things are cool. The difference, though, is that our government has done an absolutely first rate job over the last two-ish years, giving people all manner of reasons to be suspy of what the hell is going on and in many cases to not accept the COVID vaccines as part of that "array" of things. For example: Democrats feigning suspicion of a vaccine having anything to do with Trump Republicans feigning suspicion of a vaccine having anything to do with mandates Our whole-of-government response to any discussion surrounding the origin of COVID (i.e. our attraction to the natural-origin story sans evidence) The PTB labeling anything suggesting a lab-leak to be "conspiratorial" Our holyamazeballz! response to the initial reports of 94-95% vaccine effectiveness! Our subsequent lack of an accountable discussion that recognizes these vaccines function more as therapeutics, rather than as vaccines as we all traditionally understood them Our initial government response to call travel restrictions 'racist' Our later governmental response to not call the same travel restrictions 'racist' The initial edict to not mask up - the later mandate to do so The encouragement to go eat out in China town, followed by silence two weeks later when COVID exploded in NYC The focus on passing BBB with all manner of social hand-outs and goodies, as opposed to you know, focusing on this disease that is supposedly going to destroy the world The contrast between what was considered "ok" last year (BLM protests, tearing down statues, rioting, calling racism a 'public health crisis, etc) and what "wasn't ok" (going to work, going to school, going to visit your family at Thanksgiving) In short, our collective response to this situation has been fully inept from the word "go" and it has continued to be inept. Worse yet, in the backdrop, there has been a constant drone of misinformation and a steady unwillingness of people on both sides of the isle to fairly address critiques coming from the other. All that to say I'm not anti-vax. I'm merely saying that when you take the sum total of the above self-contradictory set of environment variables, you are creating and enhancing the conditions that give people legitimate reasons to push back - and not all of those people are tin-hat types. Moral of the story, we screwed up, and now we need to eat our humble pie. Which in this case, means you encourage people to get vaxxed, while the rest of us move the F on with our lives. ///////// And as far as the FDA is concerned, they have a very important role to play, but I also think their function has been largely co-opted by other industries in our corporatist society. For example, in order for something to be considered "food" in America, it can't be shown to cause harm. For something to be included in food in European societies, it must be shown to contribute nutritional value. Forgive me, because that is a complete paraphrasing of something I was made privy to a long time ago, but it stands out in my mind as an important contrast between how our society functions vs how others' do. Why is our system like this? Probably because our governmental organizations are run by industries that write rules to benefit themselves (see Agit Pai as the FCC chairman). That's a huge problem. So yes, while a properly sanctioned FDA would and can serve a vital public health function in the USA, ours currently is functioning sub-optimally. For example, we should probably have laws that preclude high-fructose corn syrup from being in everything, but we don't.

If old things still make sense, keep doing them, if new things make sense, do them instead. The Air Force would be a lot better off if the understood that.

Not if they’re fake Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You have to put the Y in the middle. ( . Y . ) Merry Christmas

Was it in poor taste? Yes. Should Biden be spared the same attacks Trump had to endure? Hell no!

Dude, this is the prototype of an ill-formed hypothetical, meaning: it has to intentionally side-step and ignore other 2nd and 3rd order things that would happen in such a situation in order to produce its "point." Ok, so in your construction here, you posit a virus that will kill 320M Americans? Meaning it is going to both infect, AND kill EVERYONE? Ok, I can roll with that. Mandates still aren't required. If such a disease arrived on set, you'd have people locking themselves down, and killing each other to get the vaccine. You think you'd need to mandate it at that point? Lol. Move down the continuum from there, and people's collective behavior appropriately balances it all out. No one is "accepting" any excess deaths.

No dude, it's like asking "when is it okay to lock all the Japanese citizens up on internment camps." Besides, I already have an example of a plausible metric. While hospitals are out of beds. But the entire point of our system, which works better than any other, is that *no one* gets to arbitrarily choose the metric. When you let people decide for themselves, they generally decide correctly. To imply otherwise is to deny a few hundred years of post-enlightenment human flourishing. How quickly we lapse back into centralized control as a means to solve our problems. And look, we tried it again and it failed. But I'm supposed to accept a faulty premise or it's "black and white" thinking? Nah.

Even the framing of your question is wrong. It implies that people can't take care of themselves. They can, and they do all the time. In fact anybody who's involved in the government is we are should be see me aware that the government is largely incapable of accomplishing anything on a grand scale. It's not just an argument of Liberty, it's an argument of Lost causes. And sacrificing Liberty for a lost cause is a double whammy.

Actually it's very easy for me. No mandates. I do not believe they work, because humans don't work that way. If the mortality rate is sufficient to justify a lockdown, the society will lock down on their own. Again, and to be crystal clear, it has nothing to do with what makes the most sense. It has to do with what is possible, and it is not possible to lock down a population of humans without a true threat. And this was not a true threat. Do I wish that humans were more rational? Not really. I accept humanity for what it is and I am continually amazed triumphs. Those who spend their days lamenting the shortcomings of our species are fantastically myopic. As for mortality rates, I find them equally uncompelling. Which old people are you considering? How about the millions of people over 60 that have no interest in lockdowns, or being protected against their will? There are perfectly acceptable ways to protect yourself from the vaccine that do not require everybody else to stop going to TJ Maxx, or getting a shot they don't want. Since, as you well know, the vaccine does not stop the spread, exactly what is the mandate accomplishing? I think there is at least a debatable premise pre-vaccine, but once the vaccine exists and is accessible, we go back to letting people make their own decisions. Two weeks to stop the spread was reasonable. It would have been equally reasonable to say "we will lock down until there are available hospital beds." But we have had available hospital beds now for over a year. So no, it's not particularly hard at all to come up with a reasonable metric. But the time for reasonable metrics passed over a year ago. Everything we're doing now has nothing to do with the disease and everything to do with a battle of ideologies.

To play devils advocate, you don’t get to ask that question and not have the same thrown back at you. You’ll find it’s equally difficult to answer. What level of annual mortality risk are you willing to accept? Are you good with a 5-15% mortality risk for a highly contagious disease for those over the age of 70ish? If not, what mortality risk do you think is good? Should we let the disease spread freely throughout our society? Or do you think there should be any attempt to slow the spread? Is a 1-2% risk of mortality for those over 60 okay? What level of hospitalization of Americans are you comfortable with? How many months of cancelling elective surgeries and minor medical care are you comfortable with? I think most people went into this with good intentions. Decrease the absurdly high risk that some demographics would be literally decimated, somehow. I think we’ve now effectively done that and should call this complete, but my point is that it’s not easy to put an effective bounds on what the goals should be from either viewpoint. As absurd as it is that Fauci is arguing he thinks we should potentially wear masks ad infinitum, it’s also absurd in my view that some people - some of them on this forum - think we should have done nothing ever. There’s a balance.

That dude is a total douchebag, no different than the people who would yell shit at Trump. Disagree vehemently, ask hard questions at Town Halls, sure, but when you’re talking directly to the President of the United States, don’t be an ass.

There isn’t one. V/r, - Clown Penis Very Respectfully, JOHN A. BELUSHI, Maj (He/Him/Xis), USAF (USAFA ‘08 — Richter!) 69th Tactical Air Support Squadron Assistant Operations Officer (“Go War Cows!”) 18392 Tyndall Street, Building 39104 Curtis-Wright AFB, Ohio 49201 Commercial: (702) 690-1110 STE: (702) 690-1110 DSN: 302-690-1110 SVOIP: 690-2019 TSVOIP: 555-1234 Personal Cell: (719) xxx-xxxx Personal Email: cowboys4lyfe1987@boomershit.com NIPR Air Force E-mail: john.belushi@us.af.mil DOD E-mail: john.a.belushi.42@mail.mil SIPR E-mail: john.a.belushi.37.mil@secret.com JWICS E-mail: john.belushi@doublesecret.com SOYOUKNOWIMCOOL E-mail: john.belishi@triplesecret.com “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” - Herodotus, 69 BC 69 TASS - Best in the West! (c) __|__ \___/ | | | | _|_|______________ /|\ */ | \* / -+- \ ---o--(_)--o--- / 6 " 9 \ */ | \* / | \ 1Q 2021 Ops Gp Sijan Nominee 2Q 2020 Wg NCO/Qtr 2018 Wg Softball Runner Up 2017 Wg Key Spouse Nominee External Link Disclaimer Policy The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Defense Media Activity – Fort Meade, MD, the United States Air Force, or the Department of Defense, of the external Web site, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) sites, the United States Air Force does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations or the privacy and user policies of these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of the Web site. References to non-federal entities do not constitute or imply Department of Defense or Air Force endorsement of any company or organization. Privacy Act Statement If you choose to provide us with personal information - like filling out a Contact Us form with e-mail and/or postal addresses - we only use that information to respond to your message or request. We will only share the information you give us with another government agency if your inquiry relates to that agency, or as otherwise required by law. We never create individual profiles or give it to any private organizations. AF.mil never collects information for commercial marketing. While you must provide an e-mail address or postal address for a response other than those generated automatically in response to questions or comments that you may submit, we recommend that you NOT include any other personal information, especially Social Security numbers. The Social Security Administration offers additional guidance on sharing your Social Security number.

If I’m guessing right about what your talking about learn how to bake and use butter and lard. Turns out it’s not as bad for you as the gov’s been telling our mothers and grandmothers. Everything in moderation applies. Sent from my iPhone using Baseops Network mobile app

8======D For the space force bubbas.

Some here taken this video quite literally. https://stevekirsch.substack.com/p/how-an-experienced-medical-professional

I grew up shooting a Rem 22-250 at groundhogs and coyotes. Ballistics wise, it's superior to the 223 and having shot a bunch of 223 and a bit of 17HMR, 222 and 220 swift, I found the 250 a better round for the mission. Aside from the fact that you can never have too many guns, it probably isn't big enough difference to justify since you already have a 223. If your 223 is a semi-auto and you're looking for a nice bolt-action rifle, then I'd definitely pick one up.

Please do enlighten me, how do averages work? And what is your point? Also, remember that I specifically was talking about folks with a COVID death rate from 5-15% when this reply was created, so make sure to include only the ages that that statistic applies to. Show your work. Oh and if your point is that the death rate for each age is actually lower because there are fewer males than females at those ages, then I totally agree. Thanks, I just figured that would be lost so I just halfed it for y’all.

I agree and don't think the line is there, just wanted to give an example of one where mandates would clearly not make any sense since you said nobody had ever given one.

Haha! As the card carrying "Boomer" that I am, you'd be proud to know that I'm on Mattermost... and have embraced it!... along with the rest of my squadron.

Here’s a more pointed devils advocate question, because you’re not actually answering my questions. Let’s imagine there is a new disease that just came out. You’re in charge of figuring out the response. Here’s the question: How many excess deaths should we accept? And the answer is not any unless you’re an anarchist, because I’ll just pose a hypothetical illness that kills 320M Americans as my example. Where obviously something like that would necessitate an extensive government reaction to stave off total societal collapse. The questions get a lot harder when they’re posed like this, which is why skeptics love to do it. Is it 1M excess deaths? Because we just got there. Is it 10M? Is COVID specifically okay because it just doubles to triples the mortality of old people? They are unanswerable, and asking people to describe very specific “lines in the sand” is unreasonable. When it comes down to it, it’s all based on feelings on both sides.

Here is my question, maybe it is a year early... But how do we hold those accountable who made this a farce?

What's wrong with that? v/r Clearedhot, Col, USAF (Ret) ( • )( • )

Reference? That’s absolutely concerning if true, but I’d be willing to bet there’s more to it than that. I certainly could be wrong, but I hope not. I’m not in that group & am not conversant on the topic of specific medical exemptions. However, if my physician were in fact insistent that I should not receive any of the Covid vaccines, frankly, yes, I would expect a legitimate medical exemption. I’ve never argued there should be no exemptions, period dot. I do believe a vast majority of exemption requests are based on utter bullshit however.

Ah, dismissal of opposing viewpoints based on derisive and stubborn refusal to apply critical thought to one's own point of the view...that distinctive quality in younger generations that older generations seriously hate. Hey boomers, guess where the generation you raised learned that skill. P.S. Guess who approved all the scooters, hoverboards, and other such stupidity in an attempt to make the military trendy...especially in the USAF? Yeah, boomer and gen-x general officers and chiefs...and not the good ones. Not hating, simply identifying facts.

So how ANYONE still puts their full faith and trust in these so called experts is beyond me. maybe you’re the one who is blind/deceived.

I clicked on the “fact check” link you posted above. First paragraph: “But public health experts said it includes misleading claims about variants of the disease and immunity” here’s the problem. Public health “experts” have been wrong. California public health experts told people to stay off the beach. To not walk on outdoor trails. To bulldoze sand and fill in skate parks. To lock up basketball hoops. To close down outdoor dining (reference tin flats CA). Public health “experts” said trust us it’s only two weeks to slow the spread. Just flatten the curve that’s all. The nations leading public health “expert” went on national television and said masks are not required. Lol. so pardon my French but public health “experts” have been full of shit from day one. Not one ounce of humility from any “expert”. Not one ounce of “wow we were wrong”. so the Canadian doctors who are part of that alliance have just as much (if not more) credibility than your so called fact checking experts.

And with that (the flu) being mentioned, our national flu "vaccine" coverage is only 43.4% (according to the CDC). Why aren't people being admonished and highlighted on national media for not getting their flu jab to "flatten the curve"?

Believe whatever you want. If you think I'm going to face judgement in front of god because I took a vaccine partially made through stem cell research, that's your prerogative. Just as it is my prerogative to think your beliefs are backward and silly. But at some point we need to acknowledge the reality that not all beliefs are compatible with military service.

The annual mortality of people over 70 is > 4%. Without whatever you want to add for covid. For your SA. That "balance" should have ended long ago. Having the White House tell its citizens they and their families are facing death is far from that when we all know better.

Meh, don’t play because you don’t like the framing of the questions. That’s fine. It’s wholly impossible to engage in debate of merits of ideas or philosophy when you quadruple down on an intentionally absurd black and white stance.

And yet I've never seen medical professionals or the military protest flu vaccine requirements...